ComplaintsforAmeriLawGroup

• Initial Complaint

  11/22/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  We hired Mr. ******************** as our immigration lawyer on April 26 2023. He was never great at communication, however he has not responded to our calls, texts, or emails for the past four weeks. Prior to this, when he would respond, he would be extremely confused as to who we were and what we needed. He was supposed to review our paperwork prior to it being sent it, which he did not do, and it was sent back. We finally got a hold of him, and asked him to review it for errors which he has not done. Instead he has stopped responding to us at all. Since we paid him, he has been unresponsive and we have hired a new lawyer so we can finish the process. Despite us reaching out daily, Calvin ******************** has ignored us for 4 weeks on a time sensitive immigration issue.

  Business response

  11/30/2023

  To say I was surprised to receive this complaint from K and S (to preserve their privacy I will use these letters; I have also redacted some of the many sample docs submitted below for the same purpose.  My response; while I will keep it short, I could write paragraphs

  I would fairly state that I have spent more time and effort on K and Ss' case than any other in the last ten years or so.  

  By actual count of my electronic records I find that we have exchanged 41 emails since the inception of their case.  By estimate there would also be a minimum of 30 phone calls and voice mails and and equivalent number of texts both ways.

  Referencing the documents I have submitted and a VERY small part of the hundreds  of docs and emails involved we see as an overall view:

  1) Case begins on or about 7/2 7/23 with VERY explicit instructions to clients EX1

  2) S does not follow directions, messes up process and I have to reset all EX2

  3) We get all straightened out and I review docs line by line contrary to who K says in complaint EX3-4

  4) After review of forms and supporting docs clients told to mail to USCIS as instructed in detail in my instructions and exhibits

  5) Forms received and case in process by USCIS

  6) Turns out K and S have failed to sign docs and have not sent in many other docs required as directed by by instructions and receive a REQUEST FOR EVIDENCE from USCIS EX 5; did not tell me before mailed so I could do final review.

  7) I talk to clients multiple times about this (time sensitive means Jan. 8, 2024 so no major problem despite what K says)

  6) multiple phone calls.  I return I call from Hospital bed...but no big issue if it helps client); I ask them for a status update since they have not responded EX 6 on 11/13.  I have suggested a way around their self inducted problem

  7) I get complaint from BBB; they want a refund

  Note: their fee agreement with me sets out exactly how to arbitrate a fee disagreement; does not include a BBB complaint; suggest they do what they agreed.  They will actually end up owing me a good bit more money, which I have not and am not now asking for

  Note: resolution: I offer to complete their case as agreed with no further fees; I see in their filing that they have what is an estimate of fees from another attorney; I hope they have not paid him any funds as their really is not that much more to do; their call, but not refund as it is not per our fee agreement for the situation where client wants to stop my representation.

  
  
  

   

• Initial Complaint

  02/13/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  We want our $1,750 retainer returned to us as the attorney provided no services and no benefits. We hired Calvin knickerbocker (cal) Ameri law group for immigration. Cal was unresponsive to our communications and questions were not answered by him. When Calvin (cal) did answer he requested that we look up the information ourselves. He apologized on several occasionsfor his delays and lack luster performanceas well ****** excuses as to family issues etc for his unresponsiveness. We then discovered several errors with our information, we gave correctly to him. Aftermany more delays in communications from Cal costing us several months we requested a termination. He refuses to refund our $1,750 retainer despite not providing any services. The retainer agreement which was provided to us highlights services and filing documents to complete a K-1 process. None of which was successfully completed by ******** group. We do not recommend using this attorney and want a refund.

  Business response

  02/16/2022

  I am an attorney with over 40 years in practice.  I have had nearly zero complaints during that time.  The clients filing this complaint asked for and received a flat fee for the preparation and filing of a K-1 finace visa.  This requires the preparation and filing of several forms and supporting documents.  These clients are out of country so we did the entire matter virutally as I do with the majority of my clients from all over the **** and the world.  I provided all required electronic "to be filled out" forms and reviewed them line by line.  I made required corrections for them and then approved the forms for them to print out and sign and mail to the ***** (immigratiion authorities); I use this process to save the clients time and to keep my fees down, which are substantially below many attorneys out there.

  In addition to the forms preparation, review and approval these clients were sent a list of supporting documents which I have developed over the years to file with the forms and assure the approval of the clients filing.  They used my lists to obtain and forward all these documents for me to review and approve, which I did, and provided them instructions on preparing the package of forms and documents for filing.  They then had the complete package of reviewed and approved documents and they acknowedged same, said they were ready  to file, then for reasons unknown they asked for their money back and fiiled the prepared documennts without telling me.  They will not acknowledge same and this time.  I have been very responsive and have exchanged more than 40 emails and phone calls to help them.  It is my belief that they are simply trying to get something for nothing.  I even offered them $500 back, as nuisance value and which I did not owe them and they then offered to take $1,000.  I am always more than fair with all clients, but I am not going to be jerked around unfairly.  I suggested that they ask for fee arbitration which is what the **************** and their signed fee agreement requires, but instread they are filing these slanderous and untrue statements in various places.  I may have to take some actions to stop this, but would prefer to avoid this.  I offered to complete the case which has several more steps but they have refused so I have wished them well and hope they can get their case through the process.  Best to all, Cal Knickerbocker, Attorney at Law.

   

  Customer response

  02/17/2022

   
  Complaint: 16762752
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  A) See attachment flat fee agreement sent to us from amerilaw group.  business violated sections of their own agreement including; section 1, section 4, section 5 and section 6.  

  B) See attached emails regarding communications from business which included non -working links they sent us, a disoriented voicemail left to me from Cal Knickerbocker on June 15, 2021 which had nothing to do with our process, me emailing the business numerous times due to nonresponses to our questions and email responses from amerilaw group which do not answer my questions.  business communications were not professional nor of any value to us nor our matter at hand.

  C)  Business is acting in bad faith and skewing the facts to their benefit.  I , their client, was forced to self help and found 90% of my answers searching on ****** after the business either did not answer or did not answer my questions.  My experience is not unique upon further searching many previous clients fo ******** group have claimed they too have been treated unfair and ripped off by Cal Knickerbocker.  

  D)  Business is trying to keep a retainer as money earned however no effort was made by business to uphold their flat fee agreement, see (A).  only after I mentioned refund of our retainer would I get a communication response from business. 

  E)  Following 2 months of no responses from Amerigroup which I attempted to communicate with them on (5 emails, 7 phone calls, 4 voicemails, 2 text messages)  I looked up Calvin Knickerbockers home phone number on October 21st I called his home phone number which he answered accidental from his own admission as he thought I was his mortgage broker calling.  He made many excuses on this phone call to his lack luster performance including family troubles and his lack of focus currently.  He apologized numerous times and asked for another opportunity.  

   

  We are requesting a refund of our retainer which we are owed.  We would like to remind the business amerilaw group (cal) of rules regulating attorney conduct.  Our petition which amerigroup was retained for is far from being completed and the business was not capable of even initiating the petition.  

   

  
  Sincerely,
  
  ***************************

  Business response

  02/23/2022

  Let me try and take this "new" dialog of complaints one piece at a time referencingl Mr. ******** rejections below:

  A) He says, as he said before, that I did not fulfill my obligations under our fee agreement but does not add anything new here other than a blanket statement so, there is nothing to respond to here other than what he repeats below

  B)  There seem to be two parts here:

   1) That I did not communicate with them: actually, previously I noted that I had sent or received and responded to aound 40 emails all told in ******************** case; on review this morning the actual count is 70.  This does not count at least a dozen or so phone conferences with them.  I could send screen shots of these emails, but it will come to more than 7 files and I am not inclined to spend this time unless ******************** would like to pay a service to retrieve them.

           2) The allegation that other clients have complained.  I am not aware of any others other than someone on Yelp 11 years age who would only identify himself as "DodgerFan01". I tried to find out who he was to settle any issues but could not.  Interestingly enough, several of my other clients, seeing DodgerFan01's comments, wrote reviews in Yelp, without my request, saying I was a very good attorney, resonsive and helpful, and did a good job.  This was the best advertising I could have had, and it was free.  Nothing else that I know of.  Go ahead and ****** Calvin Knickerbocker, Attorney at Law, complaints and you will see something called "complaint board" which shows only ******************** and DodgerFan01 and you will see what I mean.  (ps: my son has my same name, is an attorney in OR, but I don't think he has any complaints either.

  C, D & E) these add nothing that I have not addressed above or earlier other than "family toubles" which was my brother's then impending death.

   

  ******************** received services from my firm and myself which brought him to the place where he merely had to mail his package to the ***** from ********** per my instructions.  Please see this copy of his email to me confirming this:

  "*************************** <************************>
  Tue, Nov 16, 2021, 8:49 AM
  to me,calknic
  
  "Hi cal,our package is ready to be mailed with pictures etc.  Can you please confirm the address we are mailing documents to?  And also the checks who they should be written to and amount?"
  
  I want to confirm I have everything"

  I gave him the address information and shortly thereafter he asked for a refund.  I believe the thought he could then do it himself and get his fee back too.

   

  I have informed him of the proper procedures in the event of a fee dispute re attorney's fees which is to request binding arbitration through the 
  BAR association as mandated by the *******************.  He has apparently chosen not to  do so but rather has filed this complaint in addition to publishing several slanderous and or libelous statements on the internet in an attempt to harrass his way to money he is not entitled to.

  This obviously should not be published, but should you choose to do so, please publish my responses in their entirety.

   

  Respectfully submitted, Cal Knickerbocker, Attorney at Law

   

  Customer response

  03/09/2022

   
  Complaint: 16762752
  
  I am rejecting this response because:
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ***************************

   

  Dear ****** and BBB,We reached out to you to let the BBB aware of a business unethical treatment of its clients and for the BBB to assist us with the return of our retainer as well as letting the public aware.  My wife and I are disturbed to read Mr.********************s responses as he is only responding with lies and fabrications.  Mr. ******************** provides no evidence other than one email that actually strengthens our position.  I understand Mr. ******************** needs money as he mentioned to me when he accidentally answered my phone call.  We only two total phone calls with the attorney where Mr. ******************** apologized for his poor performance, lack of responding to us and asking for a second chance.  These are the only 2 occasions we spoke with mr. ********************** by phone, his claim of a dozen phone conferences is absolutely false and insane to consider these 2 calls (not 7) as phone conferences as nothing was discussed other than Calvins family troubles and his need for a refinance from his mortgage broker.  
  
  A)  Mr. ******************** should read his own fee agreement and can highlight all areas he failed to meet his obligations.Or easier yet, highlight the few areas he actually held up his end of the fee agreement.
  
  B)

  1)  Mr. ******************** is either confusing us with another client or having troubles recalling the facts.In his counting of initially 24 emails.then 40 emails now 70 emails, he should instead count the emails he responded to us with an answer to our question, not emails where we repeatedly asked the same unanswered question.There were no phone conferences, attorney is blatantly lying or confusing us with a different client.Unless the two phone calls we had with Mr. ******************** where he mistaken me for his mortgage broker and the one other call where he begged for a second chance are considered, in his legal profession, 7 phone conferences.
  

  2)  Mr. ********************s claims that we are the only clients he has taken advantage of is irrelevant as we are still being taken advantage of.There are several ex-clients of Mr. ********************** whom have reached out to us privately and they have expressed interest in communicating with the BBB and also had their retainers stolen by Mr. ******************** himself.

  
  C,D&E) Mr.******************** is in obvious agreement to our articles C,D&E and acknowledges our statements are true and accurate.    Sorry to hear about your family troubles,again.  This isnt an valid excuse to steal someones unearned retainer.

  
  F)  New evidence provided by Mr.********************:   Email:    Please note from Mr. ********************s copy and paste of an email that he never responded.  Shows again evidence on our behalf as of yet another legitimate question we asked Mr. ********************** and left unanswered by the attorney.   The package I refer to in my November 16th email was an initial submission of paperwork that I and my wife, with almost zero assistance from Mr. ********************, completed on our own with help from blogs and google.  Our question in this November 16th email for an address to submit our package was left unanswered by mr. **********************.

  
  G)  BBB should be aware that we did not use Mr.********************s forms.   We turned in our initial package via the immigration portal on their website.  As of todays date we are only 25% completed with the entire process which includes further submissions , documents,evidence, interviews and etc.  Mr.********************  had not even assisted us with the initial package (approximately 15% of the overall process) he is claiming 100% of the retainer for this unhelpfulness on the initial submission.   This is an obvious attempt by mr.********************** to steal a retainer unearned in its entirety.  For him to claim he responded to a few emails with our initial package (approximately 15% of total process) therefore he earned the entire 100% of the his retainer is ********. 

  
  I have reached out to the BBB as a previous long term member of the BBB and I understand your dedication to ethical business practices.  my business won customer service awards from the ******************** and voted into finalists numerous years consecutively.  I am confident the BBB will hold this business and Mr. ******************** accountable for their/his misdeeds. 

   

  sincerely,

  ***************************

*Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business. ↩